Journal of Risk Analysis and Crisis Response, Vol. 2, No. 1 (May 2012), 13-20 Environmental Pollution and Human Health Risks near a Hazardous Waste Landfill. Temporal Trends Joaquim Rovira, Montse Mari, Marta Schuhmacher Departament d’Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain Martí Nadal, José L. Domingo Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The human health risk assessment associated to the human exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and metals for the population living near a hazardous waste landfill (HWL) in Catalonia (Spain) is here presented. In summer of 2009 and 2010, two monitoring campaigns were performed by analyzing the levels of PCDD/Fs and some elements (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, and Pb) in air and soil samples around the HWL. Airborne pollutant levels were very low and without tendency found depending the distance to the facility, while higher levels were found in soils inside and close to the facility. Anyhow, current health risks associated with those contaminants were within acceptable ranges. Notwithstanding, it is recommended to continue with the monitoring program to detect any potential future change in the health risks. Keywords: Hazardous waste landfill; PCDD/Fs; heavy metals; risk assessment; Castellolí (Catalonia, Spain). Organic Pollutants (POPs). Because of their 1. Introduction accumulation in soils, PCDD/Fs may be a problem for 4 The European Directive 2008/98/EC establishes that the environment and human health. Moreover, ashes may priorities for waste management are prevention, re-use, also contain important quantities of elements such as and recycling. If none of these options are feasible, the arsenic, cadmium, or mercury, which have been following step in the prioritization ranking is associated with a wide range of toxic effects. incineration with energy recovery (waste-to-energy). Incineration ashes, together with other hazardous However, incineration is not the final step, as some by- wastes, may pose substantial or potential threats to 5 products (i.e., bottom ash, fly ash, and residues from air public health or the environment. Therefore, these pollution control devices) may be produced. Among residues must be properly disposed in controlled sites those, fly ashes can be especially dangerous as they may such as hazardous waste landfills (HWLs) in order to concentrate important amounts of metals and organic assure their harmlessness. In the last decade, the number pollutants such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins of studies focused on assessing the potential health and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs).1-3 Dioxins and furans are effects for people living nearby municipal solid waste well-known persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative incinerators (MSWIs) and other waste management 6 chemicals, included in the original list of the Stockholm plants has increased. Some other investigations have Convention treaty, which aims at eliminating and/or examined the human health effects in relation to 7 restricting the environmental release of Persistent residence near landfill sites, and findings seem not to Published by Atlantis Press Copyright: the authors 13 2 J. Rovira, M. Mari, M. Schuhmacher, M. Nadal and J.L. Domingo recommended in order to assure the proper operation of the facility. When evaluating the environmental impact of industrial facilities, the importance of performing temporal investigations, rather than specific campaigns, has been highlighted.10 Moreover, the use of various environmental monitors to provide complementary information is recommended to avoid a possible misinterpretation of the data.11 As result, two new monitoring campaigns were again performed in 2009 and 2010. In this paper, we present the results of the temporal trends in the levels of heavy metals and PCDD/Fs in soil and air samples collected around the HWL of Castellolí, as well as the trends regarding human health risks. 2. Materials and methods Fig. 1. Sampling area. demonstrate an increased risk for the population.8 2.1. Sampling Nevertheless, a great concern still remains on this topic, In July 2009 and 2010, air and soil samples were as there are many uncertainties involved in the collected at the same 4 sampling points around the assessment of human exposure and health risks. HWL of Castellolí, where samples had been collected in In 1998, a HWL located in the village of Castellolí July and December 2007.9 During both campaigns, (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain), which in the past had mean temperature was around 25ºC, no rainfall was been used as a chromate-derivatives deposit, started to recorded, and the wind origin was from south, south- receive other hazardous materials. Fly ashes from east, and west directions. Samples were taken in the municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) operating HWL (on site), in the nearest villages of Castellolí (519 in Catalonia began to be stored there, together with inhabitants) and Òdena (3,442 inhabitants), and in the other solid inert wastes and asbestos. The HWL of village of Jorba (823 inhabitants), considered as control. Castellolí is currently working according to the As in 2007, an additional soil sampling point was technical standards established in both the Catalan and located in the village of Copons (320 inhabitants), European legislations regarding sealing criteria, leachate considered also as control. Geologically, the terrain is management, and water control. Despite the rigorous dominated by the presence of clay rocks. This last restraint measurements, the population and local village is unaffected by heavy traffic emissions of a authorities have shown some worries about that facility, main highway which crosses the area under study. including the potential environmental impact and Collection sites are shown in Figure 1. Sampling adverse health effects derived from the continued methods were recently described by Rovira et al.12 operations in the facility. To address these concerns, in Briefly, air samples were collected by using high- July and December 2007 a surveillance program was volume active samplers (TE-1000 PUF for PCDD/Fs initiated. The main goal was to determine the and TE-6070DV for metals adsorbed to PM10 environmental concentrations and human health risks (particulate matter), Tisch Environmental, Cleves, OH, 3 derived from the exposure to metals and PCDD/Fs by USA). Volumes sampled ranged between 600-700 m 3 the population living in the vicinity of the HWL of and 2,000-2,300 m for PCDD/Fs and PM10, Castellolí.9 Air and soil samples were collected at sites respectively. In turn, each soil sample consisted on four located at different distances from the HWL. The levels subsamples collected within an area of 25 m2, taken of metals and PCDD/Fs were analyzed. That initial from the upper 5 cm of ground and stored in study concluded that the additional risks for the polyethylene bags. The bulked samples were dried at population living nearby the HWL were not significant. room temperature and sieved through a 2 mm mesh Nevertheless, a regular monitoring program was screen until analysis. Published by Atlantis Press Copyright: the authors 14 Human health risks near a hazardous waste landfill 3 2.2. Analytical methods procedure followed on micro columns of silica gel and The concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), alumina. The final extract was again spiked with chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), and lead isotopic labelled internal standards and then analyzed by (Pb) were determined in air and soil samples. Metal HRGC-HRMS (Agilent 6890-Waters Autospec Ultima). levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma The recovery percentage ranges were 58-107% and 59- spectrometry (ICP-MS, Perkin Elmer Elan 6000) after 121% for soils and air, respectively. In this study, total sample digestion. For soils, 0.5 g of sample were PCDD/F concentrations were calculated by using the digested with 5 mL of HNO (65% Suprapur, E. Merck, most recent data of World Health Organization Toxic 3 14 Darmstadt, Germany) in a Milestone Start D Microwave Equivalency Factors (WHO-TEFs), Consequently, Digestion System for 10 min until reaching 165°C, and levels are given as WHO Toxic Equivalents (WHO- kept at this temperature for 20 min. For air, around 6.3 TEQ). In terms of comparison, values from the 2 legislation and old studies are given in International cm of each filter was digested with 2 mL HNO3 (65% Suprapur, E. Merck) and 3 mL HF (37.5%, Panreac SA, Toxic Equivalents (I-TEQ), as these were calculated Barcelona, Spain) in hermetic Teflon bombs. In both according to the old I-TEFs. cases, blank and control samples, as well as reference 2.3. Human health risks materials (Soil, Loamy clay, CRM-052, Resource Technology Corporation, Laramie, WY, USA), were The concentrations of PCDD/Fs and metals in soils and used to check the accuracy of the instrumental methods. air were used to estimate the human exposure and health Detailed additional information concerning the risks at the different sampling points in/around the analytical procedures can be found elsewhere.13 The HWL in both periods of time (2009 and 2010). Three recovery percentages were 86-124% and 82-101% for different routes of exposure were considered for the soils and air, respectively. pollutants: soil ingestion, dermal contact, and air Table 1. Levels of metals and PCDD/Fs in air